Art of making baskets or other receptacles



Jan. 28, 1930. c, sw 7 1,745,128

ART OF MAKING BASKETS OR OTHER RECEPTACLES Original Filed Sept. 16, 19252 Sheets-Sheet 1 fi lytle 5w; ert, f 21 1.

Jan. 28, 1930. c, sw 1,745,128

ART OF MAKING BASKETS OR OTHER RECEP'I'ACLES Original Filed Sept. 16,1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 60 (/6 fizz/552:6,

Patented Jan. 28, 193d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLYDE SWIG-ERT, OFST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T

ST. JOSEPH IRON WORKS, OF ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OFMICHIGAN ART OF MAKING BASKETS OR OTHER RECEPTAGLES Original application.filed September 16, 1925, Serial No. 56,560. Divided and thisapplication filed September 1, 1927.

My invention relates to baskets or other receptacles wherein the annularwall is composed of a plurality of panels or staves, and has referencemore particularly to the method whereby the panels or staves are firstconnected in series to form an elongated mat which is then sha ed intoreceptacle form and provided with a ottom and hoops, this presentapplication being a division of my ap- 1 plication Serial No. 56,560,filed September The principal objects of my invention are to provide animproved method for making a basket or similar receptacle; to constructthe annular wall of the receptacle in an im proved manner; to unite thepanels or staves of the annular Wall in the form of an elongated matpreparatory'to the making of the asket or receptacle; to utilize astrip, which subsequently forms a hoop, as the means for connecting thestaves in the preliminary form; to connect the staves in a mannerwhereby they are capable of fanningout to form a tapered receptacle; toattach the hoops and bottom to the mat as the latter is shaped inreceptacle form so that the construction of the receptacle isaccomplishedas the wall is shaped; and in'general to provide a simple,convenient and effective method for making a basket or other receptaclewherein the annular wall is composed of a number of upright panels Onthe drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top view of a machine which may be used for making a basketin accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary and end view of the form of said machine,showing a stapling device thereover and the mat support and a hoop guidein section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the form and stapling devicesshowing the mat support in section;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly broken Serial No. 216,834.

disclose details.

The basket or receptacle which my present invention is designed to makeis shown in Fig. 6 and comprises an annular tapered wall composed ofupright panels 1, which are preferably overlapped and have their upperends secured by staples or other suitable fasteners 2 between inner andouter hoops 3 and 4. A bottom indicated as a whole at 5 and comprising ahoop 6 having a plurality ofjcrossed slats 7 secured to the edgethereof, or other form of bottom with annular fiangecorresponding to thehoop 6, is located in the lower end of the basket, and the lower ends ofthe panels 1 are secured by suitable fasteners 8 between the bottom hoop6 and the outer hoop 9. An intermediate hoop 10 is preferably providedon the outside of the basket between the upper and lower ends of thepanels 1 and secured to the latter by fasteners 11.

In making this basket in accordance with my present invention, thestaves 1 are first arranged in series, either edge to edge or with theiredges overlapping as shown in Fig. 4, and these staves are securedtogether in a suitable manner so that they can be fed into the basketmaking machine as a unitary structure or mat and so that they will fanout to give the walls of the basket a tapered form. In practice I preferto connect the panels 1 by means of a strip 12 which subsequentlybecomes the outer hoop 9 at the bottom of the basket, said strip 12being laid over the lower ends of the panels 1 and se cured thereto byfasteners 13. When the panels have their edges overlapped as shownherein. these fasteners are preferably inserted through the overlappedportions as this .at two points and at the same time holds the panelsmore securely against displacement as each panel is thereby fastenedermits the necessary fanning out of the pane s. The strip 12 extendsonly part way over the first panel 1 (that is the one indicated at theright hand end of Fig. 4) while this strip 12 projects beyond the lastpanel 1 (which is the panel at the left hand end of Flg. 4) so that thelatter panel may overla the first men' tioned panel when the mat isshaped in an annular form and so that the projecting end of the strip 12will overlap the other end of said strip and permit the two ends to bestapled to ether.

For s aping the mat of Fig. 4 and completing the basket, a machine suchas shown herein may be used, comprising disks 14, 15, 16 and 17 of whichthe disks 14, 15 and 16 are secured on a shaft 18, which is carried by abearin 19 of a standard 20 and provided with a rate etwheel 21, which isadvanced in a step by step manner by a pawl 22, the extent of eachintermittent movement being regulated in accordance with the width ofthe panels 1, so that the fasteners which are applied in theconstruction of the basket are located in substantially the samerelative position with respect to each panel, preferably .throu h theoverla ped portions of said panels. his machine us a plurality ofstaplers 22, 23 and 24, arranged respectively above the disks 14, 15 and17 so as to cooperate with these disks in applying the staples.

The disk 17 is relatively movable with respect to the disks 16, beingpivoted on the upper end of an arm 28, which said arm is mounted in anysuitable manner on the frame of the machine, so that it may be moved toand from the disk 16. This disk 17 supports the basket bottom intheoperation of making the basket and clamps the anels 7 between the disks16 and 17 with t e hoop bottom extending over the edge of the disk 17 asshown in Fi 3.=

The disk 14 is fesigned to support the inside upper hoop 3 of the basketin the operation of making the latter and is preferably formed with areduced portion 26 with a bevel 27 therebetween to facilitate theapplying of the hoop 3 on the disk 14. The disk 15 does not have anyhoop mounted thereon, but serves merely as a form and as an anvil forthe stapling device 23. Said disk is preferably formed with a bevelededge 28 for facilitating the removal of the completed basket from theform.

Mounted at one side of the top of the form or disks 14, 15, 16 and 17,and extending laterally therefrom is a support or feed table 29 carriedby a standard 30. This feed table 29 has an upturned flan e 31 along oneedge for engagement with t e free ends of the panels 1 in guiding themat of Fig. 4 onto the form or disks 14, 15, 16 and 17. At the 6 oftheother edge of the feed table 29 are a number of apertured ears 32 forbolts 33, which engage in slots 34 of ears on a plate 35, which ischanneled on the under side or otherwise suitably formed to fit the band12 and insure proper feeding of the mat onto the form.- In view of theslots 34, this guide 35 is adjustable so that the mat'for forming theannular wall of the basket may be fed onto the form at the pro er place.

oop guides 36 and 37 are arranged respectively adjacent the staplingdevices 22 and 23 for guiding strips of material 38 and 39 respectlvelyonto the exterior surface of the annular shell as it is being formed, sothat the strips are secured by the stapling devices 22 and 23 to theannular shell and form the hoops 4 and 10 respectively,

Assumingnow that a mat such as shown in Fig. 4 had been formed, this matis placed on the support or feed table 29 with the band 12 en aged inthe channel on the underside 0 the guide 35 and with the edges at thefree ends of the panels 1 adjacent the upturned flange 31. A hoop 3 isplaced on the disk 14, and a bottom 5 is clamped between the disks 16and 17 with the hoop 6 extending over the edge of the disk 17 Hoop stockor strips 38 and 39 are then started in the guides 36 and 37respectively. The foremost panel 1 of the mat is then brought under thestapling devices 22, 23 and 24 and the ends of the strips 38 and 39 feddown under the staplers 22 and 23. The machine is then started inoperation, and the first operation of the stapling devices secures theends of the strips 38 and 39 to the foremost panel 1, at the same timefastening the upper end of this first panel between the end of the band38 and the hoop 3, and the stapling device 24 also fastens the end ofthe strip 12 and the foremost panel 1 to the hoop 6.

The mat is now connected with the hoops 3 and 6, which rotate in a stepby step manner with the form, and the bands 38 and 39 are also connectedwith the leading panel 1. By reason of this connection, as the form,consisting of the disks 14, 15, 16 and 17, is advanced in a step by stepmanner by the pawl 22 and ratchet wheel 21, the mat of Fig. 4 and thebands 38 and 39 are fed onto the form in a step by step manner, and ateach interval ofrest the stapling devices 22, 23 and 24 apply a-seriesof staples 2, 11 and 8 respectively.

In view of the gradually diminished size of the disks 14, 15, 16 and 17,a tapered form results, and as the mat is fed onto this form the panelsor staves 1 are fanned out so as to give the completed basket or recetaclc a tapered form corresponding to the orm on which the basket ismade.

It will be readily understood that it is not necessary to form the matas shown in Fig. 4, as said figure merely illustrates one of the manyways in which the mat may be constructed. The strip of material forconnecting the slats or panels may be at the upper edge and arranged toform either the inher or outer hoops 3 or 4, or it may be ar-' rangedmidway between the ends of the panels so as to form the hoop 10.Moreover the strip, such as 12, may be entirely omitted and the overlaping portions of the panels merely staple together to form the mat andinsure that each successive panel will follow the preceding panel as thelatter is stapled on the form and advanced by the latter.

While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, I amaware that various changes and modifications ma be made withoutdeparting from the princlples of my invention, the scope of which is tobe determined by the appended claims.

I claim as my inventioni 1. The method of making a receptacle whichcomprises connecting a plurality of panels in substantially parallelrelation so as to form an elongated mat having portions of the panelscapable of being deflected laterally of the plane in which they aresecured, then bending the mat into circular form and so laterallybending and fanning out the panels as to form a tapered shell, andsecuring the ends of the panels between inner and outer hoops so as tomaintain the form of the tapered annular shell.

2. The method of making a receptacle which comprises securin a series ofpanels onto a band in substantia 1y arallel relation leaving portions ofthe pane s susceptible to displacement out of the plane in which otherportions are secured, then winding the series of panels on a ta eredform and thereby distorting the ane s relatively so as to form a taperedshel and securing the ends of the panels between inner and outer hoops.

3. The method of making a receptacle which comprises securing thecorresponding ends of a' series of panels to a band leaving portions ofthe panels susceptible -to displacement out of the plane in which otherportions are secured, then winding the series of panels on a taperedform and thereby laterally distorting and so fanning out the free endsof the panels so as to form a tapered shell, and securing the ends ofthe panels at the larger end of the tapered shell between inner andouter hoops and securing the ends of the panels and the band at thesmaller end of the tapered shell around a bottom.

4. The method of making a receptacle which comprises the preparation ofa blank consisting of substantially parallel panels, secured together atone longitudinal edge of the blank and having other portions unconnectedand movable out of the planeof the blank and applyingit to a staplingmechanism for supporting and advancing the panels in such a manner thatthe panels are adjusted to form a tapered annular shell.

5. The method of making a receptacle which comprises assembling a seriesof panels on a band with corresponding end portions of the panelssecured to the band and other panel portions unconnected and movable outof the plane of the series of panels, then applying the assembledstructure on a tapered form so that the band is at the smaller endthereof and the panels are fanned out around the form to conform to thetaper thereof, and then securing the fanned out panels between inner andouter hoops.

6. The method of making a basket which comprises holding thecorresponding ends of a series of anels in substantially a relativelynon-separa le manner on a straight band so that the remote ends arerelatively adjustable transversely to the holding tension at the bandend, then applying the series of panels on a tapered form and relativelyadjusting the said remote ends to fit around the larger end of the form,and then securing bands to the panels in the adjusted position.

7. The method of making a-- basket which comprises holding thecorresponding ends of a series of overlapping panels in a substantiallyfixed relative, position on a straight hoop strip so that the ends ofthe panels remote from the hoop strip are relatively adjustabletransversely to the holding tension at the hoop strip ends, thenrelatively adjusting the said remote ends of the panels to fit around ahoop and thereby form the larger end of an annular tapered shell, andthen securing the said remote ends of the panels to the hoop.

8. The method of making a receptacle, which comprises assembling aseries of panels in parallel relation to form a mat with the panelsconnected together along one longitudinal edge of the mat, bending themat into a tapered cylindrical shell with the panels extendinglongitudinally of the shell, and securing the anels to maintainthe formof the tapered s ell.

9. The method of making a receptacle which comprises assembling a seriesof panels in parallel relation to form a mat with the panels connectedtogether along one longitudinal edge of the mat, bending the connectededge ortion of the mat around the peripheral e go of abottom member andthe unconnected edge of the mat around a form member of greater diameterthan that of the bottom member, and thereby laterally distorting andfanning out the panels into a-tapered cylindrical shell, and staplingthe connected ends of the panels to the bottommemher and the fanned outends of the panels to a to maintain the form of the tapered in parallelrelation to form a mat with the panels connected together along onelongitudinal edge of the mat, bending the mat around a ta ered form toform a tapered cylindrical s ell with the panels extendinglongitudinally of the shell, and securing each end portion of the shellbetwee'n hoops.

11. That step in the formation of a basket which consists in securing aplurality of staves at one end only to a hoop forming strip leavin theirother ends free to adapt them to be isplaced transversely to vary thediameter of one end with reference to the other CLYDE SWIGERT.

